Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “lac” come from?

lac (Middle French) comes from Old French lác, from Latin lacus, from New Latin lacrimalis, from Latin lācrima, from Old Latin dacrima, from Proto-Italic *d(r)(k)akrunā, from Proto-Indo-European dáḱru-, from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- — eye bitter.

Ancestry of “lac”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchlác—
2Latinlacusa lake, pond, basin; reservoir; a tank, tub, vat,...
3New Latinlacrimalis—
4Latinlācrima—
5Old Latindacrimatear
6Proto-Italic*d(r)(k)akrunā—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandáḱru-tears; tear
8Proto-Indo-Europeandr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru-eye bitter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- →